Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Cameron Perkins watches his first MLB hit during the second inning June 21 against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park. Perkins' ability to get on base has been lauded by the organization.(Photo: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports)

Adam Haseley, an outfielder out of Virginia, represents exactly what the Phillies are trying to overhaul and build within the organization: Hitters who possess control of the strike zone with a consistent, patient plate approach that is expected to carry all the way to the big leagues.

“We can envision guys like Mickey [Moniak] and Haseley and [Scott] Kingery being a core group for us and they have that one thing in common: They command the strike zone,” Almaraz said.

It’s a desirable attribute, for good reason. The most successful, winning Major League teams have built their offenses around getting on base, grinding out at-bats and being aggressive to take advantage of mistakes in the zone.

Currently, the top five teams in Major League Baseball in on-base percentage are among the six best records in the baseball. The Rockies are the only outlier, though the fourth-best team in baseball owns an OBP that ranks 10th overall.

This isn’t exactly a new trend, either.

Of the teams who’ve won a World Series the last eight years, four ranked within the top 3 in OBP the year they won the title, including the Chicago Cubs last year. And for the other four teams who won during that span – notably the three Giants teams – they were often carried by their pitching.

Getting guys on base at a high rate gives teams more opportunities to score runs. It’s simple in theory, and tougher in executing, especially when some players just aren’t equipped to be that kind of hitter.

“The one thing that has changed in college baseball is you’re starting to see the Benintendis and the Happs and the Swansons and the Bregmans, they’re coming from elite college programs and they’re facing elite college pitching. So those hitters that command the strike zone, usually when they do it at that level, they’re going to do it in pro ball,” Almaraz said.

A good offense and overall team success isn’t only rooted in a high OBP. Competent pitching is also necessary for a team vying for a deep postseason run, and in some cases, can carry a team when it doesn’t have an elite offense. But when a team is able to force opposing pitchers to challenge them and attack the zone because hitters are able to hold off on chasing pitches, it can shift the advantage back to hitters.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, at the moment they have too many regulars who haven’t developed or possess the discipline to consistently get on base. In turn, it puts additional pressure on the offense to convert their limited scoring opportunities.

Philadelphia’s .306 OBP ranks 27th in MLB while their 281 runs scored are second fewest in baseball. Four of the Phillies’ starters own an OBP under .300.

A refined plate approach and ability to work the strike zone was a notable factor in the promotion of outfielder Cameron Perkins this past week. And it’s part of the reason why one of Philadelphia’s top prospects, outfielder Nick Williams (10 walks and 82 strikeouts in 72 games), hasn’t been called up yet.

General manager Matt Klentak and the Phillies deemed Perkins ready for a challenge in the majors after his solid performance at Triple-A, which included ranking third in the International League in OBP.

While explaining the reasoning behind Perkins’ call up, Klentak noted the outfielder’s success that “importantly he’s done it in areas that are really important to us as a franchise.”

“This is a guy who has worked hard at controlling the strike zone, he can play all three outfield spots, he’s a good athlete … he’s done everything he needs to do,” Klentak added.

The Phillies are trying to fix the deficiency at the big-league level by developing players and drafting players who fit the mold of Haseley and Perkins. Triple-A top prospects Rhys Hoskins and Roman Quinn (though currently injured) also have the qualities the Phillies want.

Implementing and executing this organizational philosophy takes time, but the long-term payout should result in a better offense, and more importantly for the Phillies, a lot more wins.